Shock absorbing device



OCL 23, 1945. c SPONSLER 2,387,689

SHOCK ABSORBING DEVICE 7 Filed June 30, 1942 I U #ig B Patented Oct. 23, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,387,689 SHOCK ansomsnve DEVICE Charles F. Sponsler, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application June 30, 1942, Serial No. 449,135

Claims.

This invention relates to a device for absorbing the Shock attendant upon the closing of doors which normally tend to assumeclosed position, such, for example, as screen doors that are closed by spring force.

The invention has for its object to provide a device of the character indicated which, while permitting the door to close completely, will afford reliable and positively acting means for preventing violent contact or slam of the door against its door frame and which is of simple eon'striiotlon, small in size and cheaply and easily manufactured. y l

The principal feature of the invention, generally stated; consists in yieldingly mounting upon a bracket, through the intermediacy of spring means, a resilient member which is adapted to be deformed when cushionin the impact between a closing door and its associated jamb, the spring means providing forces of different values and directions for resisting bodily displacement of said resilient member in a corresponding plurality of directions at an angle to each other, whereby when the door is opened, the deformable resilient member is caused by said spring means to assume and temporarily maintain a Figure 3 is a side elevation of the device, the parts being in the same positions as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a'sectional view on line Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view corresponding to Figure 3 but showing the relative positions assumed by-the parts when the device is absorbing the shock in-- cident to closing movement of the door.

Figure 6- is a View corresponding to Figure 2 but illustrating the relativepositions'assumed by the parts during the final closing movement of the 'door.

Figure '7 is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating the shock absorbing device applied to a spring actuated swinging door.

Figure 8 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the positions assumed by the parts at the instant of impingement of the shock absorbing device against the door .iamb. t

Figure 9 is a View corresponding'to Figure 8 but illustrating the relative positions of the parts after the door has fully closed.

Figure 10 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the device applied to a door frame instead of 'to the door.

In the drawing, l indicates the ordinary swing ing type door closed by' the force of a spring 2.

, The shock absorbing device is preferably mounted place the deformable resilient member in a direction removing it from its position of obstruction.

Afurther feature of the invention'consists in yieldingly supporting a deformable resilient roller upon the bracket by means of a spring which permits the roller to have bodily movement in two directions with respect to the bracket at an angle to each other and to execute a limited turning movement during the final closing movement of the door, the spring being adapted to offer greater resistance to bodily displacement of the roller in one of its said two directions of movement.

There are other features of invention, residing in particular combinations of parts and elemental features of' construction, all as will hereinafter appear and be particularly pointed out in the claims,

In the drawing, illustrating thepreferred embodiment of the inventionjthe scope whereof is pointed out in the claims.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the deviceupon the inside of the door so as better to protect it against molestation but, as shown inFigure 10, it may be mounted on the outside of the jamb of the door frame 3.

The device preferably consists of only three parts, a bracket 4, a deformable resilient 'roller 5 and spring means 6 for yieldingly supporting the roller upon the bracket. i The bracket 4 maybe conveniently made of sheet metal. It is formed with a base plate 7 preferably provided with parallel slots 8 to receive screws or other means for fasteningthe bracket either directly to the door or to the door frame as may be desired, the'direction of the slots being at right angles to the axis of the roller 5 so as, to permit limited adjustment of the device to properly position the roller for effectively preventing slamming of the door. Extending at substantially right angles to the base 1, the bracket is formed with a pair of spaced arms 9 to which the spring 6 is firmly secured and between which the deformable resilient member 5 intervenes. Between the arms 9 of the bracket and spaced a short distance from the circular face of the roller 5 and at a substantially greater distance from the base plate 1 the bracket is provided with a shelf or abutment IE! which forms an abutment for the roller when the latter is displaced in a direction substantially perpendicular to the base I of the bracket, as occurs during a rapid door closing movement. At that time, the energy of the fast moving door is sufiicient to overcome the force exerted by the spring 6 in opposition to the body displacement of the roller towards the base of the bracket. As a simple means for firmly attaching the ends of the springs 6 to the bracket .4, the arms 9 .of the bracket may .be formed with short curled or cylindrical portions I l which encircle the spring at its ends and firmly hold itin place. Between the cylindrical clamping members II and in spaced relation to the roller 5 are two spring abutments l2 which, are in light contact with the under side of the spring 6 and are located between it and-theba-se of the bracket. If desired, these shelves pr abutments I 2 may be extended, as shown in Figures 1 and A so as to partially encircle the spring but suchiencirclement should not be suflicient to interfere with the free action of the spring when the displacement of the resilient roller occurs in a direction substantially parallel to the base plate :1 during the -finalc'losing movement of the door, as shownin Figure '6. The purpose of these shelves .or spring abutments 12 is :to 'provide simple means for enabling'the spring '6 to offer greater resistancetokdisplacement of the roller 5 towards the base .of the bracket than in the direction-parallel thereto.

The spring 6, which is preferably of tightly coiled tonmprouides acentral axis for the resillent .roller ,5, the :latter :being mounted upon the spring at the center of itslength and being held iniplace by -frictionalcontac-t. When mounting it upon the bracket, the spring 6 is preferably assembled with a slight initial tension and thus constitutes a flexible shaft mounting which always tends :to keep the central axis of the roller on the straight line .:-passing through the central axis of the cylindrical clamping lugs H at the ends of the bracketfl. This position of the roller 5 with respect to the bracket 4 is that which it normally assumes unless displaced therefrom by an outside force. The spring i6 is in efflect a flexible'ibeamito which, through the roller 5, outside forces are applied at the center of its length in :a plane perpendicular to its axis. It will be perceived that, if the force -applied by the roller to the .spring is in a direction parallel to the "base I of the bracket, it will be opposed by the force of the ilength of spring measured between the twocylindrical .clamping lugs H (see Figure 6'), whereas, if the force applied by the roller dis-in a direction perpendicular to the base 1 of the bracket dispiacementof the-roller 5 i-so-pposed by on'lythatzpart of the length-oi the spring which lies'between'the adjacentends-of the two spring abutment shelves 4-2 (see Figure 6 It will, therefore, be apparent that, since the shorter length of spring will offer greater resistance to displacement from its norma1 straight line position than :will the greater length of spring, the spring '16 .ofiers greaterresista-nce to displacement of the resilient roller 5 toward the base plate '7 of thezbracket thanwhen displaced in-a direction substantially parallel with the base plate.

The itesii-ient :member :5 is adapted :to be deformed when arresting a closing movement of the QQQL 11. if p eferably made of .nubber and i-npthe of e -tort c linder. :I'heroller is of :Sllch a n thetrmb n retracted Mam/out.-

irfonee; =a

.leana oc exists between it from the door frame to prevent slam when the door check first comes into action, for at this moment the door is warped out :of a plane surface becauseof its momentum. By providing the bracket 4 with a. shelf ID to serve as; an abutment for the resilient roller 5 a greater door opening is obtainable when impingement of the roller occurs than would be possible if roller of the same diameter were interposed directly between the door frame and the door itself. Without this shelf or abutment Ill, a larger diameter roller would be necessary to obtain av door opening of corresponding extent. The use of a larger roller involves lgreater side .=displacement thereof Sin.

order to allow ibhQdQOIitO close fully. "Thisvneces: s-ita'tes greater "lengthhf itheespring for equally easy flexure .of the-spring and that, in turn, involves the use of a longer bracket-up on winch -.to mount the spring. The shelf or abutment-A10 'forcooperating with :theldeformable resilient ,mer'nberv'ti, therefore, reduces the necessary size :ofall ofathe parts of :the device.

"It has been :pointed out that, depending upon thedirection of displacement of the rubberrol-ler member 1 5 ;-its normal position, the device provides spring forces of differentyalues for resisting displacement of the :roller and that the force gesisting movement of the roller member in the direotionof the shelf or abutment Elm is greater than that in .a direction parallel .to the base plate :Lof the-bracket. is the feature winch. enablesithe shock absorbing dBViGB'iOiChBGk the door twhenait .closes rapidly but :to .avoid any material icheoking action when the .door .closes very slowly. "Thmprinciple involved-in this :mode of action .of :the :shock absorbing device understoodby'referring to Figures 7 and8%0f .the drawng, strong which it will be'seen that when the zd-ooris slightly open v.theroller i5 projects :some distance beyond theco-rnerl 3 ofithedoor frame member against which-the .door abuts when it is closed, and {that the roller makes contact with 7 this corner of the door fra-me asrthesdoor closeoor ndin to displace-it a direction .per

pendicular to the base plate 11 .ofrthe bracket-and to thesplaneofthedoor. =Conitersrlyralessermoe J'ect n o th zrcsilientr l errmember ionna alleltort e base 1 :of he i enlaa aofizhefiogry ope a ion of th zsboak ab orbing d vice :is as l ows; assumin that the door shown in :bracketand t 'Figure 7 is about to complete a rapid 31 951 33 m t gient and th t the deilicais located on the iri ic ezfage Qfrl bfi d o sothatt eiesil eot roller 5 s n proper p s elat e to'thc doorzirame ymemhe :fu ther clo n movement of the :door causes the roller to impinge upon the door frame ber at the corner wand tomes theroner increases, the force tending to displace the roller in a, dime? towards the door until it comes in contact with shelf or abutment ID, the parts then assuming the relative positions illustrated in Figure 5.

The roller thus being in contact with the door frame at one point on its periphery and being also in contact at, a distantpoint on its periphery with the shelf It, therefore then constitutes-an "obstruction interposed between the door and door frame and prevents the door from closing. During its contact with the shelf or abutment: ID of thebracket, the resilient roller 5fis compressed and momentarily deformed from its normal circular shape. The door then rebounds outwardly the roller against the corner l3 of the door frame becomes progressively smaller until this force is less than the force of the springfi resisting movement into contact with the shelf or abutment it of the bracket 4. At this time, the roller ,5 remains in contact with the door frame but no longer makes contact withthe shelf in. The door is now free to close and the residual tension in the door spring 2 first displaces the roller inwardly towards the hinge side of the door and then closesthe door completely. When this final closing movement takes place, the force imparted to the roller by impingement against the door frame has become very slight but is still sufficient to overcome the opposition of the spring 6 to displacementof the roller parallel to the base plate I and to the face of the door, as shown in Figures 6 and 9. During final closing movement of the door, the roller 5 is no longer distorted from its cylindrical shape, but rollsfreely around the corner iii of the door frame until it assumes the positon (see Figure 9) it occupies when the door completely closed. In assuming this pOSltlOIl when the door is fully closed, the spring 6 upon which the roller 5 is mounted isappreciablyflexed transversely out of its normal straight line condition and this insures the restoration of the' roller to its normal position of obstruction when the door is again opened.

While for manufacturing reasons the deformiable resilient member 5 ispreferably a complete circular roller presenting the sam circular surface throughout its entire periphery, it will be appreciated that a roller of full cylindrical form is not necessary for satisfactory operation since only a portion of the circumference of the roller is required to have rolling contact with the door frame.

It will be apparent that, when the shock absorbing device is applied to the outside of the door frame, as shown in Figure 10, it will operate in the same manner as when used on the inside of the door. It will also be apparent that the device is suitable for use on doors of either hand and on doors in which space limitations necessitate the use of a shock absorbing device of compact form.

What I claim is:

1. A shock absorbing device for a door which normally tends to assume closed position, said device comprising a bracket, resilient means adapted to be deformed when arresting the closing movement of said door, and flexible means for moi/ably mounting said resilient means on said bracket, said flexible means constituting a yielding' beam, and said bracket being provided with means for causing said flexible means to have a plurality of different effective beam lengths respectively corresponding to different directions of bodily displacement of said resilient means.

2. A shock absorbing device for a door which normally tends to assume closed position with respect to a door frame with which it is associated, said device comprising a bracket, resilient means adapted to be deformed when arresting a closing movement of the door, and yielding means for supporting the resilient means upon" said bracket being provided wtih means whereby said yielding meansis enabled to offer different degrees of resisitance when flexed in said different directions; T

3. A shock absorbing device for a door which normally tends to assume closed position with respect to a door frame with which it is associated, said device comprising a bracket, resilient means adapted to be deformed when arresting a closing movement of the door, spring means carried by said bracket andjyieldingly support-- ing said resilient means so as to permit the latter' to rotate andbe displaced bodily with"re spect to said bracket, said bracket being provided with a base whereby it may be mounted in op erative relation to said door and door frame and being also provided wtih an abutment intervening between said base and said resilient means and adapted to be engaged by said resilient means when the latteris arresting a closing movementof the door, andsaid spring means projecting beyond opposite sides of said resilient means and being'attachedto said bracket at a plurality of spring means for supporting said resilient means upon the bracket, said spring means being adapted to be energized in a plurality of different amounts by forces respectively actingthereon at different angles thereto, the

means with respect to said bracket in directions at an angle to each other. I

5. A shock absorbing device for a door which normally tends to assume closed position with respect to a door frame with which it is associated, said device comprising a bracket provided with an abutment, resilient means adapted to be deformed by engaging said abutment when arresting at closing movement of the door, and spring means for supporting the resilient means upon the bracket, said resilient means being adapted to be displaced bodily with respect to said bracket in a plurality of directions at an angle to each other and to rotat during one of said bodily displacements to thereby permit movement of the door to final closed position, and said spring means being energized in respectively different amounts by the said bodily displacements of said resilient means.

said difierent amounts of said forces being respectively induced by equal bodily displacements of said resilient .8. A'shocl: absorbing device for a door which normally tends to assume closed position with respect to a door frame with which it is associated, said device comprising a bracket, a resilient roller memberadapted to be deformed when arresting a closing movement of the door, and a coiled spring extending througl'rsai-d roller member for yieldingly mounting the latter upon the bracket so as to enable it to execute a limited rolling movement and to have bodily movements in two directions with respect to said bracket and at an angle to each other, and said bracket being provided with an abutment adapted to be engaged by ,the roller member when the latter is arresting a closing movement of the door and being provided with means for attaching the said coiled spring thereto and being also provided with means for causing said spring to offer greater resistance to bodily displacement of the roller member in one of its said two directions of movement.

'IX'A shock absorbing device .for a door which normally tends to assume closed position with respect to a door frame with which it is associated, said device comprising a bracket, resilient means adapted to be deformed when arresting a closing movement of the door, and spring means carried by said bracket and yieldingly supporting said resilient means so as to permit the latter to rotate and to be displaced bodily with respect to said bracket in a plurality of directions at an angle to each other, said spring means constantly acting upon said resilient means with a force tending to cause it to occupy'a position enabling it to cushion the closing impact of the door, said spring means being adapted to flex with respect to said bracket in a plurality of directions at an angle to each other in response to a corresponding plurality of bodily movements of said resilient means, said bracket being provided with a base whereby it may be mounted in operative relation to said door and door frame, and said spring means projecting beyond opposite sides of said resilient means and being attached to said bracket at a plurality of spaced points onopposite sides of said resilient means.

8. A shock absorbing device for a door which normally tends to assume closed position with respectto a door frame with which it is associated, said device comprising a bracket, a resilient roller member adapted to be deformed when'arresting a closing movement of the door, and a coiled spring for yieldinglymounting the accuse;

roller member; on the bracket so as to enable said roller to execute a rotary movement dur ingthe 'final closingmovement oi the door and to have bodily movements in a plurality of dime-- tions with respect to said bracket, the longitudinal axis of a portion of the coils of said coiled spring being. substantially coincident with the ,axis of rotation of said roller member in .all positions assumed by the latter, and; the said spring constantly acting upon said resilient mem-- her with a force tending to cause it to occupy a position enabling it to cushion the closing impact of the door. I v

9. A shock absorbing device for a door which normally tends. to assume closed position with respect to a door frame with which it is associated, said device comprising a bracket.v having a base whereby it may be secured in position, resilient means adapted to be deformed when arresting a closing movementof the door, and

' spring means for supporting the resilient means.

upon the bracket, said resilient means being adapted to be displaced bodily with respect to said bracket in'a plurality of directions at an angle to each other, and said bracket having anabutment spaced toward said resilient means from said baseand adapted to be engaged by said resilient means when the latter is arresting a closing movement of the door. I v

10. A shock absorbing device for a door which normally tends to assume closed position with respect :to a door frame with which it is as sociated, said device comprising a bracket, a roller member. constituting resilient means adapted to be deformed when arresting a closing movement of the door, yielding means secured to said bracket at opposite sides of said resilient means for supporting the resilient means upon the, bracket, said yielding means between its ends being spaced from said bracket so as to enable it to yield in a plurality of directions at an angle to each other in response to a corresponding plurality of bodily movements of said resilient means with respect to the bracket, said yielding means constantly acting upon said resilient means with a force tending to cause it to occupy a position enabling it to cushion the closing impact of the door, and said yieldin means serving to maintain said resilientmeans out of contact with said bracket-during the fina1 closing move? 'ment of the door to thereby permit said resilient means to execute a rolling movement as the door finally closes.

CHARLES F. SPONSLER 

